How can I live a more pious life? I don't need no girlfriend

Be a monk then, give to charity, or other stuff

>>17970445
Don't know where to start. I can't even choose a religion.

>>17970437
Imagine what the perfect being would do in any situation and do that. It's difficult at first but if you stretch your imagination you can pick up some incredible habits and insights

>>17970445
>give to charity
/me recalls the story of Boddidharma an the emperor; no merit.

>>17970555
Checked.
I don't think /religion/ is the way to go, but I do think a philosophy gives you a sort of framework so you don't just go wandering. I've come to find Chan (aka Zen) buddhism to be a good framework because it doesn't necessarily impose religious dogmas. But you should make your own choices, walk your own road.
Anyway I suggest reading the Daodejing as a good starting point.
The path is not easy if you think it is, it needs deep introspection and fighting your human weakness. It's not just sitting there with a lotus flower.
Meditation should also do you good. Learn to meditate, read the daodejing...
And try to live up to your standards always.

>>17970644
I'll elaborate on a part that I think is important: religions tend to claim to be "The Only One" and often want to force you into their view of the world. That is why I think religion is not the way to go, but that is in my case. We are all different and for some people servitude to a god is the way to go. No blame.
On the other hand, as I said, a philosophy provides a framework to have something to work in. Compare this to the actor who is given a character to act and uses that character as a foundation on which to improvise, the character give him the "rules" to improvise.
I'm not shilling buddhism as "The One True Path" and I should also note that buddhism is not necessarily a religion, again, Chan is more of a philosophy, though it does have aspects of religion depending on your perspective.

Another piece of advice. As I said, the "path" involves overcoming your human weakness. But don't be rigid or artificial in that, and don't beat yourself down if you break at times, there is no growth in that. Learn to know yourself.

>>17970699
>>17970644
Thanks for the help, and I have read the Dao de jing.

The issue I have is that modern living and culture seems so incompatible with a spiritual life and I struggle to further my spiritual progress without a community. How could Siddartha become Buddha in a land of booty bitches, commercial advertising, and people who value entertainment over any other aspect of their lives?

>>17970833
All these doubles for sure prove that the gods approve of this thread.

Um, that is irrelevant.
On the other hand, sometimes I feel I would like to have a community of people who are on the same page as me and which are also not holier than thou posers. But then I think the same thing would happen which already happens to me here in 4chan, I end up dumping my mind instead of doing what I'm saying I'm going to do.

Also suggest reading Principia Discordia

>>17970437
Study. Experience. Think. Long and hard. There's a reason why so many people are retarded: it's easy to be ignorant but difficult to be mature and wise. It's even harder to be mature enough to see at all the idiots and have to face the disgust they promote.
Monks babble but they lack answers, except for the color (black, no color) of the inside of their eyelids.

>>17970917
>Principia Discordia
I read the Wikipedia entry, sounds entertaining to mull over.

>>17970833
Most Orthodox Christian monasteries I have been to live in another era. Yeah, there are a couple of Disneylands disguised as monasteries, but those are rare exceptions. You go there and you'll be eating twice, praying and working physically day in, day out. Some of the most spiritual people I've come across are in such places.

Rent or buy the Russian film Island ("Ostrov") to get some perspective on the philosophy of this faith and see if it works for you. It changed my life.